How to Love Like a French Woman

January 20, 2015 3:31 PM

16
0

In France, mothers get a medal from the government after having four children or more. Some call it the "Reproduction Medal." It's a fact that artist Sara Shaoul learned this year during her summer residency in Paris. It's one of many parent/government-related facts that she stumbled upon during her stay. For example: French mothers get paid maternity leave and child-care costs are next to nothing, thanks to government subsidies. Fascinated, she decided to compare the American system to the French. After getting back to New York, the artist used this inspiration to complete her installation, How To Love Like a French Woman.

Shaoul explains, "This is part of a series of work that grew out of my research during my Artslant residency in France. The title comes from the now enormous list of articles I have compiled teaching American women to be more like French women. This phenomenon of cultural comparison, and its larger ...